Marathon: The Death of Dreams
by Jjetty
Summary: The Year is 2794. Humanity has made many advancements in science, technology, and politics. Among the greatest of these advancements is the first interstellar colony on Tau Ceti. In the 7 years since the Colonies' establishment, the citizens of Tau Ceti have faced many challenges and with it made many new discoveries. These feats pale in comparison to what they are about to face...
1. Prologue

Prologue: Arrival  
July, 14, 2787, 12:47 Hours  
UESC Marathon - Hangar Area 5; (Upper) Observation Deck #221

Jetty peered with awe through the window at the planet below, slack-jawed, eyes wide with disbelief. It was the first time he had ever seen a planet this close before. In the time he had spent growing up and looking out of windows like these, the planet was almost always more or less the size of a fist, now he needed to turn his head just to see all sections of it. What it meant for him was more then just a prettier view, it meant that he and every other passenger and crew member of the U.E.S.C. Marathon could now officially visit and reside on the now established Colony down on that planet: Tau Ceti IV. Jetty, watched as shuttles arrived and departed from the large colony ship he stood in. A ship that was once known as Deimos; an asteroid-like moon that orbited Mars before it was built to make it's three hundred year journey to the Tau Ceti System 11 light years away from Sol. What it brought to Tau Ceti was the best humanity had to offer for such a journey: Three Artificial Intelligences and just a little over twenty-four thousand former residents of Earth and Mars. While most of the colonists were placed in stasis throughout the trip, a number of crew ended up living and working on the ship and eventually raising families there as well. As the crew aged, a new generation of humans was born and raised on the Marathon. By some, these children, among them Jetty, were looked down upon and called "BoB", (short for "born on board") given the major social, cultural and even intellectual differences between Bobs and the newly awoken colonists.

With curiosity and frustration, Jetty fixed his eyes on each departing shuttle as the entered the planet's atmosphere trying with all his might to make out the buildings that were part of the colony. Unfortunately each one would keep disappearing into a large mass of swirling clouds, occasionally illuminated by bolts of red lightning. Before he could fix his eyes on the next departing shuttle, he was startled by the loud call of his name... "Jetty James O'Conner, get your little green ass OFF that ledge...right...NOW!" He turned around to see his mother, eyes wide and teeth clenched with rage. "But Mom, I was just looking..." She immediately cut him off "I don't care! You get off that goddamn ledge right...now!" Her voice lowered and quaked with even more rage, as she pointed to the floor next to her. Spitefully, Jetty took his time as he walked past the two windows and down the steps at the end of the ledge before walking towards his mother. Before he could even make eye contact with her she grabbed him by the hair and began pulling him down another set of stairs leading to the lower obs deck before pushing him violently into a corner. He looked at his mother after grabbing the steel wall to catch his fall. His mother stood before him, her face still twisted with rage as she points her finger "Ya had no business being on that ledge, I told you to stay away from the airlocks!" Jetty quickly argued "I wasn't at the Airlocks!" She raised her voice even louder. "Don't argue with me! When I say stay away from the airlocks you should know that means to stay away from anything that could suck you out into space! If anything flew towards us and broke those windows you'd be DEAD!" Jetty argued even louder "You didn't say that! You said "No airlocks! And aren't those window sa-" Wham! His vision blurred sideways as a sharp pain began to scorch his face. "Don't you DARE yell at your mother! STAY here and so help me god if you move from this spot...so help me god!" Her voice lowered once again as he clenched her teeth, almost beginning to pant. All he could do was stare silently at her as he tries to hold back the tears of frustration and embarrassment as the other crew members in the hanger area heard her yelling. It wasn't the first time his mother lashed out at him or in general for that matter, it was however the first time in a long time that her outburst was over something more rational. The last time was over a box of candy he that he'd grab from frequently but one day when doing so ended with the box being thrown against the wall and its contents scattered throughout their quarters, followed by a series of slams to the head. Jetty sat in the corner as he watched his mother storm off.

For an hour he sat, staring out the windows as he watched the planet rise into view. Occasionally his view would be blocked by the occasional shuttle and cargo transport coming too and from the planet. When that got boring he pulled out his communicator and began playing one of his video games "StarConflict 4: The Third Martian War", a favorite of his since he father gave it too him since he was seven. "Still playing that game I see?" Jetty looked up to see a man in a dirty red jumpsuit. "Dad!" He got to his feet before being greeted with a playful pat and rub to the top of his head. "Did they send you out here to fix something?" Jetty asked with excited curiosity. His father answered. "Yep, Durandal said he was that the Airlock doors are being laggy when he tries to control them, Tycho is also noticing some weird things happening with the network out here so, so I need to access one of the Computer systems and figure out whats going on. Wanna help?" Jetty smiled with even more excitement "Yeah!" The two walked back up the stairs to the upper observation deck, his dad throwing the switch to remove the blockade leading to the Maintenance tunnels within the hangar Area. As they walked to the ledge Jetty was standing on not too long ago his father noticed a troubled look on his face as he kept looking back at the stairs, along with it a faint red mark on his left cheek. "Whats your Mom up to?" Jetty quickly replied "I dunno..." They stopped at the pattern buffer, pressing their hands on the big red orb protruding out of the device letting the machine scan their bodies, a common medical practice for any crew member about to do anything even remotely dangerous. "She just hates me..." His father quickly interjected. "She's just stressed, you know how it is with her and work." Jetty sighed before replying "Yeah I know..." The two made their way through the door and into the maze of access tunnels.

14:52 Hours - Auxiliary-Cryo Storage Facility 94B

Brandy finally opened her eyes to see only a bright light and the blurry shape of a bald head with very thick dark eyebrows. Unsure if it was her father, she tried in vain to focus her sight on his upper lip to see if he had his signature mustache; a thin patch of facial hair just below his nose. It was the last thing she remembered seeing before everything went dark, and cold. Frustrated, she groaned and mumbled before speaking out his name "Dad?". Bernhard quickly replied as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Its alright, I'm here. I've just woken you from stasis so your going to be disoriented for a bit. How do you feel?" Brandy rolled her head left and right, before squinting and attempting to get up. "My head hurts; Pain level 4, and my vision is blurry. Ugh, and thinking just makes it worse." Bernhard gently pushed her down "That's the PS-Revival drug I gave you. In a few moments the pain will dull and you'll be able to walk. Unfortunately your vision will be impaired frequently until you fully recover in a few..." Brandy raised her hand and cut him off, "Dad, I know how it works and you told me this three hours ago." Bernhard quickly corrected her "Three-hundred years ago, actually. Your recovery from isn't going to be as simple as you think." Brandy exhaled a drawn out sigh of annoyance. Here she was at a new world, with a new job and a new life but still getting the same old rude awakening of an unwanted lecture. But it was a minor annoyance to follow her 11 light years from Sol compared to her old life on Mars. No matter how long ago it actually was for her it was almost yesterday she was on a world of violence, poverty, and the tyranny that comes with it. With a sudden surge of energy, Brandy lifted herself up, pushing aside her blanket only to be reminded by a sharp cold feeling that she was completely naked. "Fuck.." She whispered as she pulled the blanket back to cover her legs and breasts. "Sorry, Is anyone else here?" She glanced at her father as he walked towards her with a Yellow Jumpsuit in hand, similar to his but not as decorative given her position. "Just us for now, I will be waking others up soon but that's not scheduled to happen for another hour or so." Bernhard placed the jumpsuit beside her on the mattress, along with it her underwear. Bernhard points down "I've placed your shoes and socks on the floor there. By the way, Congratulations on becoming a Medical Officer of the U.E.S.C. Marathon and the Tau Ceti Colony." Bernhard placed a large round metallic pin on her Jumpsuit before turning back around to check the vitals of one of the occupied stasis machines.

Already Brandy was finished fastening her bra before quickly reaching for the jumpsuit, placing both legs into it and knocking the pin onto the floor causing slight clanking sound to echo throughout the room. "Oh for Fucks's sake!" She quickly got to her feet only have them shocked by the cold metallic floor. She looked around the floor for the unseen metal object but could not find it at first as her vision became instantly blurry and dark. "God-Fucking-damnit!" Frustrated, she quickly reached for her socks and shoes wasting no time in putting them on before resuming her search and finally finding the damn thing. Quickly, she pinned it on the left breast of her jumpsuit before zipping it up, stopping just above the front strap of her bra. With a tone of sarcasm she spoke to her father; "Okay -Doctor-, you can turn around now..." She chuckled as Bernhard quickly stopped his blank gaze into the small status panel for the Stasis machine and turned around. "I'm a Scientist; specializing primarily in Artificial Intelligence. My job is to make sure Leela, Durandal, and Tycho are stable, not come running with a box of band-aids when someone gets a bruise. That's gonna be your job until you pass the Biological and Medical Engineering Tests." Brandy rolled her eyes at her father who clearly couldn't take even the slightest joke. She didn't care though, if anything it made things more amusing for her. "So do I start today or what?" Brandy asked as she and Bernhard walked towards the elevator shaft leading up. "Yep, as you recover your going to assist the local crew members in assimilating with a more normal way of life" Bernhard turned to a small speaker leaning over to speak "Durandal, lower Access Lift ACSF-94B" As they waited for the elevator Brandy couldn't help but ask "So...'normal way of life'? Does such a thing exist?" Bernhard quickly responded, "For B.o.B.s, no. Their life has been maintaining this ship for her entire journey, they know very little of anything else outside of that..." As the elevator finally retracted and the two stepped onto it Brandy folded her arms and sighed. "...let me guess, you want me to recruit someone who might empathize with our cause?" Bernhard turned his head to face her "Not recruit, re-educate, gradually and passively. Our cause is a world that can maintain its autonomy, something we couldn't achieve on Mars." A look of sadness fell upon Brandy's face after hearing that and wondering how the people she left behind fared after she left. As the elevator finally reached the top the two walked out into larger parts of the facility, there other colonists could be seen being awoken, some who seem less affected by the long cold sleep, while others could barely sit up. As the two passed though the main storage room and into an access tunnel, Brandy couldn't help but lose herself in thought. After a few twists and turns Brandy and Bernhard stop at a terminal. "Do you think mom would be proud of me, or ashamed that I left Mars?" Bernhard took a deep breath as he finished keying in special codes onto the terminal. "I think you've done exactly what she wanted you to do." Brandy folded her arms and and stared blankly at the screen before them "I know, but there was so much more I wanted to do back on Mars." Bernhard turned back to the terminal, keying in some final commands "As did I, but there no sense dwelling on it now is there? In any case I'm about to activate the jump pad and take us to one of the hangar areas. Get ready..."

14:52 Hours - Hangar Area 5 Maintenance Tunnels

Brandy made her way through the maintenance tunnels of the Hangar Area, making a few turns but eventually coming to a small set of access steps on a raised tunnel, at the end Jetty's father can be seen poking away at the terminal, below him a stack of wires and circuit boards strewn about the area. Brandy loudly climbed up onto the ledge and made her way towards him. "Hi um... are you Mr. O'Connor?" his father turned around scratching his thick mustache. "Yeah, the names James though. Call me James. You here to see my Son Jetty about that program?" Brandy awkwardly looked at the mess below his feet " Yeah, my uh..father Dr. Strauss is here to see you too. He's out in the Obs deck." James smiled and chuckled. "Oh good I could use a smoke break. Anyway My boy Jet's across the catwalk, just head back and make a sharp left." Brandy quickly turned around, waving casually as she made her way Towards Jetty "Okay, thanks." As she made her way through the door and across the catwalk, she could hear the clanking of objects followed by loud cursing. The closer she got, the slower her pace became hoping he would calm himself before she got there. "FuuUUUCK! I don"t get it! It works...every...OTHER time! What the FUCK?!" After a few minutes of silence, Brandy made her way to the terminal only to see another mess of wires, exposed circuit boards, and a bunch of open panels, but no sign of Jetty. She looked to her right as she heard an access lift stop. Thinking he was at the other side she walked over to it waiting for it to retract and lower her. As it did she saw Jetty sitting Indian style next to a barrel with a significant amount of dings in it. "Are you...Jetty?" Brandy asked with a slightly awkward tone as she stepped away from the lift and into the hangar port watch bay. Jetty turned around and shot a surprised and confused look at her as he recognized her outfit. "Uh...Hi...Did Leela send you?" Brandy noticed him slip his communicator into his pocket but keep his hand inside, quickly she replied "She did, I'm part of that program to help...'Socialize' BoBs and Colonists so...nice to meetcha, I'm Brandy." Before she could extend her hand she couldn't help but notice Jetty refusing to remove his own from his pocket. "I heard a whole lotta pounding before I got here...did you hurt your hand?" Jetty pulled his hand back out and showed her his knuckles; bruised and cut in some places. "See? Its not that bad..." Brandy shot a slightly sarcastic smile but replied seriously. "No, I cant 'see' actually. My eyes got affected by the Stasis so I need you to help me with that and tell me what it looks like." With an argumentative tone he went into detail "There's some scratches and cuts on my middle and index fingers, my ring and pinky are just...red from me hitting the barrel..." Jetty looked away with a feeling of frustration and embarrassment.

Brandy reached for one of her cargo pockets feeling around until she found two small bags, one with a reddish-white powdery substance, the other with Q-Tips wrapped in foil. "Hold out your hand for me." Jetty reluctantly held out his hand. She quickly took a gentle hold of it as she got to one knee and rested it on the other before pulling out one of the Q-Tips and pulling off the foil cover. As she bent over to dip the wet, gel-covered cotton into the bag of powder Jetty couldn't help but let his eyes wander as he got a closer look at her. At first he began to admire her short, jet black hair that rested behind her ears, or her eyebrows had a defined point at their arch. He quickly averted his gaze back to the barrel by the window after his eyes fell to her chest for only a second. "So Jet, how old are you?" His gaze was interrupted by a cold-tingling sensation on his knuckles. He paused for a moment before answering. "Eleven...you?" Brandy replied as she fixed her eyes on his knuckles as she coated them with a reddish yet milky colored glue like substance. "...I turn eighteen next month" Jetty turned his gaze back to the window at the Tau Ceti Starscape outside. "You know your pretty mature for your age, I thought you to be at least fourteen" Jetty shot a confused look back at her "Even though I just trashed some-empty barrels?" Brandy put away the Q-Tips and the powder. "Well, everyone gets frustrated, not everyone thinks about how to vent that frustration after doing so..." Jetty stared off into space again "Yeah.." Brandy continued "...and not everyone your age works on Shipboard networking systems..." Jetty drew a smile "Well...I guess, other kids do work around here..." Brandy smiled "Yeah but how many of them do **that** kinda work? How many of them are Modest about it?" Brandy leaned closer to him and smiled. "Also, your the youngest person I know who didn't stare at my boobs when he had the chance..." Jetty's eyes widened as his face turned red. "I wasn't...Its just...I looked down and there they were! Sorry!" Brandy let out a giggle, followed by an all-out laugh. "Dude, oh my god, relax! Even if you **did** stare I wouldn't have cared!" Jetty shot a confounded glare at her. "Why not? I was told it's a bad idea..." Brandy sat back resting her back against the wall and stretching her legs. "Where I come from looking wasn't a big deal. Touching however was a different story." Jetty looked at his hand as the tingling seemed to intensify slightly. Curious he asked "So, where're you from?" Brandy continued. "Mars, New Chattanooga." Jetty's eyebrows raised slightly "New Chattanooga? I heard that city was razed by insurrectionists" Brandy shook her head. "Nope, it was the MIDA When they were in charge...then the United Earth Government...then it was Terrorists from both sides..." Jetty nodded his head and spoke briefly "Oh..." For a moment he lost himself in thought about what he knew about Human history on Sol. Almost everything he knew came from Video Games or Movies. Brandy broke the silence. "So hows your hand?" Jetty responded as he saw the reddish goo turn into a rubbery like substance. "It feels better, but...weird. What did you put on it?" Brandy shot a smile with pride. "Its a liquid bandage mixed with a narcotic to act as an active painkiller" Jetty's eyebrows lowered as he looked closer at his knuckles "Narcotic? Isn't that a little much...and against the rules?" Brandy shrugged her shoulders and scoffed "So? Its powered up painkillers its not gonna kill you" Jetty shook his head in disbelief "Really? Your a Medical Tech and your saying that? Didn't anyone tell you about drug abuse?" Brandy's face twisted with amusement and disbelief at the sight of an eleven year old lecturing her about drug abuse. "PFfffft! God Jet, you sound like my father. He said the same thing before we left!" Jetty's eyes widened as he threw his hand up in the air... "Oh my god! Well at-least try not to get caught!" Brandy threw he hands up for a moment. "What're they gonna do? Teleport us into space or throw us out of an airlock?".

In a strange twist of irony, Just seconds after finishing her sentence, both she and Jetty were forced to their hands and knees after feeling a strange popping sound, followed by an intense ringing in their ears and a dark-reddish hue to their vision. Brandy could feel a slight pulling on her hair to the right. As she looked in that direction she could see the access lift ascending, closing the gap. For a moment Jetty lied there gasping for air as blood trickled from his nose and eyes. Brandy felt her own face to see if she suffered the same effects, sure enough her palms were covered in blood. Without wasting time, she made a mad dash for a First Aid Kit; inside were the usual Gauss, bandages and other common medical items needed to treat common injuries. Ignoring these items she immediately removed large, clear, plastic shielding with instructions that began with "In case of Sudden Decompression". She tossed the instructions aside pulling out a short needle, as she quickly removed and discarded its plastic cover she immediately poked her left arm with it and quickly pushed down the plunger before pulling the needle out and tossing it to the floor. She immediately pulls out the next needle, repeating the same steps but with greater speed before moving Jetty to his back and pushing the needle into his forearm. Within seconds Jetty's breathing began to normalize, Brandy quickly reached for a packet within the Med-Kit next to the needle. She ripped it open pulling out two moist towels to clean the blood of their hands and her face. As the two regained their breath and the pain and ringing in their ears subsided Brandy asked "Are you alright?" Jetty shook his head as he began to sit up. "Nope, I hurt all over" Brandy wiped the last of the blood from her face "Yeah, me too. Try to take it easy Okay? That shot's gonna fuck with you a bit." Brandy turned her head towards the lift which was still extended and spoke in the direction of the microphone. "Durandal, lower the access lift, we need to get out of here" Durandal replied. "I'm sorry, I can't open it right now. Emergency safety protocols and mechanisms have overridden control of the doors and elevators within the Hangar Area." Jetty's eyes widened with concern. "Oh shit! Durandal did any parts of the deck lose pressure? Is everyone okay?!" In a panic, Jetty panted as he tried to get to his feet but failed, still rattled by the sudden shock of decompression, Durandal quickly responded. "No, pressure was briefly disrupted due to a malfunction with one of the MP Docking bays but no-one sustained any serious injuries. Unfortunately until the protocols are overridden, I can't retract that lift until the local system judges it safe." Jetty threw his hands in the air "Fuck!" Jetty rested his arms on his knees, followed by his head as he rested it on his forearm. Brandy rested her back against the wall doing the same, keeping an eye on Jetty and the window behind him.

For almost ten minutes the two sat, barely speaking a word, still in shock from the entire experience. Brandy was no stranger to sudden decompression and the problems it caused, Jetty was more angry then traumatized, something Brandy could pick up on as an angry expression seemed to be etched on his face. Bored and concerned, Brandy broke the silence. "How ya doin Jet?" Jetty raised his head, revealing a big red mark on his head from resting it on his arm for so long. "Pissed off. This never happens Brandy. Never." Brandy tilted her head sideways "Really? Never?" Jetty responded "Nope. We never left the ship, never went EVA, never did anything. So it didn't matter and because it didn't, something broke." For a moment Brandy held her tongue, resisting the urge to tell him to stop stressing over something that wasn't his problem but knew that he was more or less right given the circumstances. "You, know, your right. Although whats to say that's what happened?" Jetty paused for a moment. "What do you mean?" Brandy explained. "Before I got here, I heard you and your Dad were doing maintenance, meaning something was broken and before I talked to you I could hear you cursing and throwing things, meaning the common fix isn't working after many different tries. Now the problem is worse and even Durandal can't help us. I think someone fucked up and -Woah FUCK!" Brandy jolted back hitting the wall behind her, startled by the object hitting the window behind Jetty that causing a faint thud that barely disturbed him. Just as he turned around to look at what seemed like a large splatter of slightly foamy liquid as it slowly dripped down the thick, shatter-proof glass he was too startled by the sight of a tool slamming against it causing a louder 'thunking' sound to echo within the room. Jetty immediately got to his feet and ran towards the window, Brandy chased after him. "What the fuck? Dude get away from there!" Jetty ignored her and froze as he looked out the window, his eyes wide with disbelief. Brandy soon ran up to try and pull him away thinking something was exploding within the hangar port on the other side of the window. To her surprise it wasn't something but someone; a woman with blonde hair, even with her poor vision she was able to spot the woman as she stood at the edge of the hangar port screaming inaudibly at three Security staff members while throwing various objects at them. Jetty knew who it was and could barely move much less speak a word. Brandy exclaimed "Jet...whats going on?! I cant see what they're...doing, Are those guys in down there in blue Security?" Jetty snapped out of his shock "Y...yeah they're security and they're in EVA suits..." Brandy held her hands out and moved them up and down. "Okay, why aren't they taking down the woman, is she armed?" Jetty responded quickly with an annoyed and dismissive tone of voice "I don't know...shes got something in her hand but I cant make it out." Brandy's eyes widened as she felt her heart skip a beat. "Ok...can you see anyone in the control room across hangar?" Jetty quickly looked across and saw his Dad pounding on the window, next to him Bernhard standing still with his hands folded. "Yeah its my dad and some Scientist" Brandy let out a sharp exhale as she started to realize what was going on, but try all her might to rationalize it as nothing more then an overstressed Airlock tech. She made her way to a comm unit to the right hoping to open a channel to the other side, she pushed the button with her hand" "Dad? James? Whats going on? ...Dad? Can you hear me? ...Fuck!"

Jetty made his way to the unit and tried to work with it. "Its busted, hold on maybe I can rewire it to receive..." As Jetty fumbled with the wires, he couldn't help but turn his attention towards the woman as she continued heckling the three guards. "Jet...whats the holdup? Pay attention okay?" Jet tried all he could to get the transmitter fixed but it was no use, all it could do was pick up the faint sound of obscenities within the Hangar port. "Fuck!" Brandy stopped him as she saw more movement, the two moved left to see more guards attaching lines. "Whats going on now?" Jetty now began to panic, his voice breaking as he answered "They're...tieing themselves down...the guards." within seconds she could hear Bernhard's voice speak cold and authoritatively over the communicator "Mrs. O'Conner, This is Dr. Strauss. There is no need to continue this nonsense. Go quietly with the guards and we will sort this matter out." Brandy's face fell as she heard the name and quickly made the connection. She looked over to him as he watched. "That's your mom?" Jetty didn't answer, and the longer he remained silent the more she realized no answer was needed. Brandy put her hands on her temples, her fingers running through her hair as she stepped away from the window. Jetty exclaimed with frustration "I don't get it, why don't they just fucking take her? She needs help!" Brandy's hands slid to her mouth as she turned away from the window overcome with a feeling she recognized all too well, one she had sought to escape in this far away world and hoped never to experience again. "Why don't they just grab her?! She needs help!" Jetty exclaimed as she watched his mother raise her middle finger at the guards in front of her. Brandy tightly closed her eyes taking a deep breath before turning around. "Jet...we need to get away from the window..." Jetty turned his head to Brandy "Why?!" Brandy shouted "I don't want to explain it to you, please just trust me..." Before she could even reach out to touch his shoulders, the two were startled by a bright flash followed by a muffled but still very loud sound of an explosion. Within seconds the two watched as his mother sucked out into space, along with her two guards who were not tethered properly. Jetty stood there, speechless and frozen with shock. He always knew she had problems but he never thought she'd go this far. Brandy placed her hands on the window, trying to compose herself but it was no use. Watching this unfold did nothing but bring back a horrible memory she had been trying so hard to forget. The death of her Mother on Mars just a month before leaving Sol. Watching her run into a hail of gunfire before being vaporized in a violent explosion. Many had called her actions a "heroic sacrifice", that it "saved countless lives", but they didn't help her get over it, if anything hearing them made her sick to her stomach. It was the reason she left for Tau Ceti, to start a new life, whatever it may be, and get away from that kind of violence and insanity. She had hoped never to see it again and yet here she was watching it happening to someone who unlike her had no idea what it meant to lose a loved one this way. As that reality began to sink in, she fell to her knees, sobbing as she wrapped her arms around Jetty and held him tight until the ordeal was over and they were free from the room. It was the first and only time either of them had let go of their emotions.

During that time the two formed a seemingly unbreakable bond that evolved as they grew into young adults in the following years. What they learned from each-other was how to adapt to a world that was quickly changing. Little did they realize that bond and that experience would get them through a tragedy that would lead to the death of dreams...


	2. Chapter 1: Seven Years Later

June 24, 2794, 20:14 Hours (Present Day)  
UESC Marathon - "The Rose" Recreational Facility

Jetty walked down the corridor and onto the service elevator, waiting amongst other crewman for it to descend. As he waited, he checked his communicator hoping to get a message from Brandy telling him where she was so he could meet up with her. But Ten minutes since his last message and... no response. The elevator seemed to be held up longer then usual too. No doubt it was due to the cluster-fuck of dawdling crew members down the hall, fiddling with their clothes and communicators as they crept slowly towards his direction. Annoyed, Jetty leaned against the wall and thought to himself 'Seriously, can't people just do that shit when they actually get on the elevator? Why does it take people ten fucking minutes just to preform a simple fucking task?!' Jetty sighed and closed his eyes as he placed his hand on his stomach that began to ache. No matter how routine they were, social gatherings always made him tense and nervous to the point where he would feel ill. The fact that he was going to or through a recreational area that was routinely turned into a weekend night club didn't help matters seeing as how he only recently became old enough to enter one and legally consume alcohol. Not to mention, it just wasn't the type of place Jetty preferred to spend his Friday nights. Even if he was allowed there, he just didn't feel like he belonged at a place like that.

Brandy on the other hand tended to spend her entire weekends there, nearly everyone who was a regular knew her including staff. Of course for as many people that knew her there, not a single one of them ever knew where she was on the such a massive level as he had learned the last time he came here. One thing he did admire about the place was its architecture and how the entire facility was drawn out and built like a giant rose laid flat on a table. They even went as far as naming the facility "The Rose" and even named specific areas that made up the level accordingly. Of course only people like Jetty ever noticed or cared about such a thing. "Hey you, off the wall!" Jetty opened his eyes and immediately moved off the wall to see a man in light blue glaring at him along with others on the elevator who were waiting. "Hands and feet away from the walls while the elevator is in motion." Said the man in blue as if for the millionth time. Within seconds the elevator began to quietly lower, making only a few faint clanking noises as it completed its descent. One by one various individuals in red, green and yellow jumpsuits walked into corridor ahead of them. To the left were various signs, one pointing to the staff elevator and the "Funhouse" arcade, the other pointing to the lobby and loading zone Jetty had just walked out of and finally one on the ceiling pointing to the right at an open Bulkhead door that lead to "Recreation Area #5", a large open area that served as a gym, a minor sports arena and night club on most weekends.

As he walked through the bulkhead corridor and into club, Jetty's senses were immediately overwhelmed with a torrent of lights, loud music, lively patrons, and the smell of liquor and cheap perfume. Jetty looked left and right as he tried to find Brandy amongst the crowd. Within seconds he would feel his communicator vibrate with a message from her telling him she was at one of the "The Petals", a 24-hour food court that often rotated its restaurants on a daily basis. "Oh great that's...way further then what I expected..." He said to himself as he made his way through the crowd only to be stopped by a guy who reeked of booze. "Y..You...You smell nice, and damn your cute! Wanna go make out?!" Jetty paused for a moment unsure of how to respond at first but with a smile said "Oh thanks but no, I'm just here to meet up with my Girlfriend!" The guy let out a laugh "Me too bro, let me know if ya change your mind!" As Jetty walked away towards the other corridor he immediately felt himself being pushed forward after feeling a hard slap to his backside. For a moment he paused turning his head around as he watch the man cackling as he stumbled away. 'Whatever.' Jetty thought to himself as he continued his way through the second bulkhead corridor and took an immediate left turn to the large room with the words "Lounge" titled above it. This room was a nice quiet break compared to last, a haven for sports fans, gamers, and folks who enjoyed a good old fashioned movie, a place Jetty was familiar with but not always on this level. Mainly because of the lack of air-reprocessors which would filter out the stench of second hand smoke that would often fill the area and make cause contact highs depending on what was being smoked in these rooms and how many people were smoking. This always posed as an advantage for Jetty as he was able to either sneak bullshit his way past security and into the air vent to that led to the "Stem" hallway and then to the "Petals" where Brandy currently was.

As Jet walked up the stairs, sure enough there was a Security bouncer, high out of his mind from the people smoking nearby. Jetty walked up to him but before the guy could put his hand up to halt him from proceeding, Jetty cut him off asking "Did maintenance ever get that elevator fixed?" The bouncer put his hand down and paused for a moment. "Naw, its still broke, only takes you up da "the stem" and back." Jetty nodded his head but before he could ask the bouncer spoke "I got in huge trouble with Leela and the Manager here for letting you through last time, I know you had a good reason and all, and I heard you stood up for me, but the elevators off limits here and is...up to keep people out..." Jetty paused for a moment, his lips folding in. "I understand. I won't go in there again. But I do need to get up to "the pedals" can you help me?" The bouncer nodded and said. "Yeah, I can teleport you there from the Security office. Follow me." The two walked out of the lounge, past the bulkhead corridor that was now closed and up a set of stairs. After reaching the top, the two took a sharp left passing through a narrow corridor leading to a room with all the telltale signs of a Security Office. A Comm terminal to the right, a medical pattern buffer to the left and a cluster of monitors watching almost every area on the level along the upper walls. "Can you place your hand on that buffer to the left? Regulations man..." Jetty walked to the buffer and placed his hand on the red circle, waiting the usual 30 seconds to scan his biological pattern. Within seconds he would see the Staffer tap a few buttons on the terminal. "Alright, transports about to activate. Have fun..uh..wait where are you going?" Jetty quickly answered with a smile. "I need to go to 'The Petals' I got a friend waiting for me there" The young man responded "Oooh yeah, okay. Sorry, I forgot. Maybe I'll join you later. I'm gettin kinda hungry..."

Within seconds space began to fold in around him and before he knew it he was now standing between one of the two "Stamen" Bathrooms just near the "Petals" food court. He walked forward and to the right and was welcomed to the smell of food coming from the kitchens to his left in the "Pistil". It was enough to make his stomach growl. With Brandy nowhere in sight, and the dining room he was in completely empty, he decided to help himself to one of the dessert trays that contained fudge-flavored cheesecake...and real fudge, next to it a sign saying that they were free for anyone to to take. "Why not?" Jetty said to himself being a lover of fudge. It took exactly one minute for him to wolf down one the largest sliced he could find, consuming it in just three bites. Before he could lick the crumbs off of his lips and fingers he felt the hair on the back of his head suddenly being gripped tightly by slender fingers before being yanked back and greeted with a passionate kiss to his lips that tasted of red wine and something spicy. Jetty opened his eyes wide, surprised by the spontaneous display of affection but was relieved to find it was from the lips of someone that wasn't a stranger. It was Brandy, whom clearly had a lot to drink. "Jesus, for a moment there I thought that guy followed me." Jetty said with a tone of surprise to his voice. "Long time no see, hows it goin?!" Brandy smiled as she answered "Too long and...guy?" Jetty rolled his eyes and chuckled "Yeah some dude in the club who was real drunk...and hor..." Brandy cut him off "Oh did he have that goofy fuckin pedo-stasche?" Jetty thought back for a moment, he hadn't paid much mind to the way he looked at the time. "Uh, I think so...yeah he did...Maybe?" Brandy laughed and waved her hand "Ahaha yeah...both he and his girlfriend are colonists from Earth, and total freaks! Not like most of these the limp-dick, BoBs up here. Seriously everyone's such a prude. You people needa get out more..." Jetty stood silent, unsure of what to say at first "Yeah well, yanno..." Brandy interrupted "Yeah yeah, everyone's still "adjusting'..." she said imitating quotation marks with her fingers. "cept for you... thank God for that." She winked at him before grabbing him by the hand and pulled him back towards the bathrooms "C'mon Jet, I got something to show you.~"

Jetty hurried along as they passed another table with a bunch of various booze bottles. Brandy quickly grabbed one, almost stumbling as they made their way past the bathrooms and to a wall. "Umm..." Jetty attempted to question her but was interrupted "Sshhhhhhh! This-ss a secret! I uh...found out about this from My Dad..." Brandy whispered to him before waving her her hands several times with a particular pattern before placing her hand on the wall. Within a second the wall let out a buzz and lowered down opening to a small box like room containing a Comm-Terminal and walls with odd markings on them. Brandy pulled him inside before the door closed. Jetty whispered to Brandy with a worried tone "Brandy...are we supposed to be in here?" Annoyed yet slightly amused, she replied. "Don't worry, nobody really knows about it so relax. Here, drink some of this it'll calm your nerves." Jetty shrugged as he pulled the Cork out of the ceramic bottle and took a large swig. He was surprised at how sweet its contents were and began to read the label. Apparently she had picked up a bottle of Mead instead of Wine. "Hey you picked a good one, check it out! Mead!" She took a sip and gave him back the bottle. "Not bad but...You drink it. I've had more then my fair share of booze tonight. I must say for a bunch of Prudish Nerds, you BoBs make some fuckin good booze." Jetty sat on the floor and chugged down another mouthful of the stuff, taking a minute for it to kick in. Brandy curled up next to him enjoying the atmosphere of a warm and dark cell illuminated only by the flickering terminal to their left. Bored, Brandy broke the silence. "Hey Jet, I've got good news. Leela's rotating me back to the Marathon so no more long trips away for weeks on end..." Jetty smiled as he felt the effects of the Mead kick in "Yeah? That's good, I've missed you..." Brandy looked in his direction and smiled as she played with one of the pocket flaps on his jumpsuit. "Me too. Its been too long. I see your finally growing your hair out a bit, I like it..." She ran her fingers through his mid-length, Jet-black hair. Jetty smiled and returned the compliment "I love what you did with yours...the red tips...er..highlights?" Brandy giggled as she whispered into his ear "Your gonna love what I got down on the colony.." Within mere seconds Jetty's eyes began to widen as she moved away from him and unzipped her yellow Jumpsuit, pulling it off to reveal a tattoo that could best be described as black ribbons covering her right shoulder, the ends like fire on her forearm. "Its...beautiful. I love it! Especially the way it looks like black fire on your arm." Brandy smiled as she kept the suit off of her upper body and asked, "So can I finally see yours in person?" Jetty smiled as he began to off his jumpsuit next. "I thought you'd never ask..." He said as he turned around to reveal something she had not expected. It had the Symbol of the Marathon just below his neck, something he had shown her through a message sent to her a week ago. But this time the symbol had a wrench and a long bloody Katana behind it forming a kind of "X" pattern, similar to that of a pirates 'jolly-roger' symbol. "What do ya think?" Jetty asked with a smile as he looked at her over his shoulder and saw Brandy staring at it slack jawed with shock and awe. "Its...its not bad. I love the simplicity with the wrench part, but the detail that went into the Katana piercing the symbol, especially the ribbon on the handle...and the blood, that's the coolest part...did this?" Jetty smiled as he sat back down in front of her "Durandal did it at my request, all of it. It was his birthday gift to me actually. He said it best represented me according to him." Brandy took a swig of the Mead for the hell of it before passing the bottle back to Jetty. Before he could put the bottle down after taking another sip he found himself being pushed to the cold steel floor as she began to tear off the rest of his clothes and spend the next few hours satisfying both their desires for intimacy and eventually passing out.

June 25, 2794, 07:40 (Seven Hours Later)

The two awoke fully clothed to the sound of the terminal beeping an alarm. "...What the fuck is that?" Brandy moaned as she sat up. Jetty got to his feet and read the terminal which had displayed a message regarding missing records and historical data during the third Martian war. Within moments his communicator registered a message that there was a minor network failure with doors on certain parts of the ship but were not critical. Jetty complained; "For fucks sake things are going wrong already today? Its the weekend! Jesus Christ." Brandy pulled a pouch full of pills out of her pocket. "So let the weekend people handle it? Here take these, it'll curb the hangover." Jetty quickly popped the white capsules and quickly washed them down with mead. Given how painful the light of the terminal was he was in no mood to deal with the lights out on the pedals of the Rose's dining area. Which was no doubt serving breakfast that his stomach needed more then it wanted given the fact Jetty only had a piece of cheesecake and Mead to satisfy his hunger. As the pills began to take effect, Jetty got up reaching his hand down to Brandy. "We should get outta here and go eat something." Brandy nodded in agreement, grabbing his hand to pull herself up and check the terminal's hidden cam display for anyone nearby the secret door. Lucky for them the area was clear as everyone was enjoying breakfast, away from their location. As the door slid open, the two walked out checking their clothes to make sure everything was on properly before walking off into the dining area. Gone were the tables with free food and liquor and now there were a set of tables in random locations all populated with tired and hungover crew members shoveling their favorite breakfasts into their mouths before they would continue their day. Wasting no time, the two quickly stepped up to the counter near the center "Pistil" where orders were being taken by a husky looking man in Blue. Brandy stepped up to him and ordered; "Two Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuits with coffees please". As the two stood and enjoyed their meals looking out the window, Jetty couldn't help but be overcome with an odd feeling like something was wrong. "Hey Brandy, you ever get the feeling something was...off about today?" To which Brandy replied "No? Not really. Maybe its just the detox pills and greasy old fast food you just wolfed down?" Jetty continued to look out the window at the stars which seemed to twinkle in an odd sort of pattern. "No...this isn't my usual stomach issues. This my 'something is not right' feeling. The kind I had when my Mom died, or my Dad lost his leg and ended up retiring early in Little Chicago down on the Colony." Brandy quickly finished the last two bites of her biscuit before asking. "How is your dad anyway?" Jetty shrugged after blowing on his coffee. "Hes fine I guess, he found a girlfriend actually, shes the head nurse for the district's hospital I'm told." Brandy smiled as she lightly smacked his bicep with her elbow. "Like father like son eh? Goin' after the medical chicks."

Jetty let out a chuckle before finally taking a sip of his coffee as he stared out the window, gulping down about half the cup his eyes widened as he stood perfectly still at what appeared out in the distance. At best it could be described as a long thin cluster of silver and brown ovals that he could only assume was some kind of ship given the way it looked as it floated out there. Jetty looked over to Brandy, ready to grab her and ask if she saw it too but realized she did given the way she stared at it with more fear then awe in her eyes as she began to back herself up against the wall. To the left the large man they had ordered food from squinted his eyes and said "What the fuck is that? Some kinda new ship or somethin?" Others began to get off their seats and look at the object, but before they could even say or do anything they were startled by the sight of green and yellow laser fire coming from its direction. Soon whispers of confusion turned to screams of panic as people began to run for cover fearing they would be hit. Whatever dedicated Security staff was on sight could be seen with his hands fanned out yelling "Everyone please stay calm! PLEASE...STAY CALM!" It did no good, especially when sounds of distant explosions could now be be heard and various lights began to flicker off causing the area to become partially dark. Before Jetty could do anything he could feel Brandy clutching his arm, pulling on it. "Jet! We gotta go... NOW!" Confused, Jetty questioned her "W..where we gonna go? The teleporters may have just been locked down." Brandy shook his arm with anger. "Right now anywhere but here! Follow me, I know a safe place nearby where we can get some weapons." Jetty's eyebrows shot up into the air "Weapons?!" Brandy pulled Jetty by the arm down the corridor of the stem which was now dark thanks to the attack. As they made their way to the retracted elevator Brandy stopped in front of an air vent and began pulling on the cover. "Brandy, what do you mean 'weapons' and why would we need them?" Brandy let out an annoyed sigh as she continued to yank on the rusty vent cover "Its a long story Jet, that I will tell you once we get the time, now help me get this fucking cover off!" Jetty helped pull on the vent cover, their combined strength finally allowing them to remove and discard it. Brandy climbed inside as Jetty followed behind, crawling their way through the vent and eventually coming to a stop at an opening just above a room Jetty didn't recognize. As Brandy worked this next cover Jetty asked "How long do you think it'll be till they board?" Brandy pushed with all her might on the cover. "Don't know, Maybe five or ten minutes at the most? Its how long it takes for a boarding party of any size to invade a ship." With a loud clank Brandy was able to push open the vent cover causing it to fall onto the floor below making a loud clanking sound. The two dropped down into the room which was amazingly well lit by portable lights activated by motion sensors. Unlike most other rooms, this one had a gentle but noticeable breeze, likely due to the high concentration of vent openings seen throughout the room. Jetty figured it must be a low maintenance vent core that was hidden or forgotten. To Jetty's left, against a convex wall was just as he expected to see: A small cache of weapons, ammunition and combat gear. Among these weapons, or at-least items that could effectively be used as such, Jetty recognized Two .44 Magnum Mega Class Pistols he remembered firing with Brandy at a shooting range down on the Colony a few months back. Jetty watched Brandy as she began sifting through the gear separating it into two piles, speculating one was for him and one was for herself. He wanted to ask what they'd be taking besides the Pistols...and how she managed to smuggle them past Security but figured he'd be better off waiting and that she would explain it to him in due time. Before he could even look anywhere else he saw her finger point at a pile of gear "Put all of that on, now." Quickly Jetty put on the tactical gear and holstered Magnum, commonly seen on Armed Security Officers and Staff members...back when they were expected to be armed. After securing her gear, Brandy picked up a small black backpack and a couple of strands of cloth that nearly matched the color of their jumpsuits. She looked at Jetty and held out the green strand of cloth and backpack in front of him "Put this scarf on and make sure it covers your belt and hides your gun. The backpack contains a computer tablet capable of cracking most of the Marathon's doors and computer systems." Without hesitation Jetty complied, wrapping the large scarf around his waist concealing the gun and his gear. He then slipped on the small backpack containing his computer and various other items. "Is there food in this?" Jetty asked as it felt heavier then expected. Brandy answered. "Yes. A weeks worth of rations and survival gear, all of which we should be able to conserve and replenish if we play our cards right." Jetty nodded silently as he adjusted his straps and checked his gear.

Brandy paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "Jet, I know you have a lot of questions and I'm sorry I'm being...impatient about them. But unfortunately we don't have the time to talk about it right now. There are a lot of things about my past I didn't tell you about because I had hoped to leave them behind. Unfortunately that's not always an option and that's why this cache exists, among others. I don't know what that thing out there is, but it clearly intends to bring us the one thing I had had hoped to escape, and that you'd never have to experience." Brandy looked into Jetty's eyes, her expression of sorrow and worry twisted into stone cold seriousness. "When we do get the time I'll explain everything. Until then things may or may not get incredibly ugly and right now I need to know I can rely on you in the thick of it. So...are you with me?" Jetty swallowed and took a deep breath. All of this was happening so fast and none of it was making any kind of sense. Within seconds the lights began to flicker and machinery began could be heard whirring down and then back up. After the distraction Jetty looked back into Brandy's eyes and nodded. "Yes, I'm with you all the way." Brandy nodded and continued "Good. Remember Jet, our main objective here on out is Survival. Follow my orders and we'll get through this...whatever it may be." Before they continued, Brandy pulled out a knife and handed it to Jetty. "Cut off the ends of my hair. Its too long for combat and the red makes me stand out too much." Jetty pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail before sliding the blade left and right, cutting off the firey red ends and cutting it just slightly shorter then it was when she had arrived seven years ago. As she pulled it back behind her ears and secured it with some special pins, Jetty picked up an unused piece of black cloth from the pile, tearing away the fabric he didn't need before fastening it into a bandanna covering his forehead. "Is this okay?" Jetty pointed at the bandanna as he stuffed the rest of the cloth into his pant-leg cargo pocket. Brandy glared at the garment for a moment before judging it. "Its fine. Pick up a Melee weapon. We're moving." Jetty picked up a small hatchet and slid it into one of the free loops on his backpack along with it a steel wire. Brandy led the way towards an access passage and a door leading out. To their left was the Maintenance Access, sealed off by a closed bulkhead door. To the right and around a corner was the Security Office Jetty had visited previously. Quietly the two crept their way into the office, only to be surprised to see it was completely empty. Brandy pressed her back against the wall and drew her gun. "Jet, access the Terminal and find out whats going on. Once you do, open that Bulkhead. We're getting out of here..." Without hesitation Jetty moved up to the terminal and logged in. Before he could do anything the entire terminal was overridden by the Emergency Broadcast System with the following Message to which Jetty red aloud:

Message to All Marathon Terminals

 **Marathon Emergency Systems Broadcast**

Today at 0820 hours, the Marathon came under surprise attack  
from unknown hostile forces. The Marathon has sustained  
serious damage.

At 0830 hours, alien forces boarded the Marathon. The current  
situation is dire. All personnel are required to arm  
themselves and fight for their lives.

Posted 2.08.39

After reading the message Jetty turned to Brandy her face etched with disbelief. "Aliens? I...what do they mean Aliens?" Jetty looked back at the terminal after hearing a quiet beep, automatically closing the Broadcast message and opening a high priority transmission:

***Incoming Message from Leela***

Priority 1-B Override

Greetings Jetty, I am thankful to see you have survived the initial attack and am working to assume a better understanding and control of the situation as well as the ship, but this is proving to be a difficult task as I have been severely damaged and am suffering major attacks from creatures capable of interfacing with our computer systems. These same creatures may be preventing me from communicating with Durandal and assessing the damage done to him and the engineering sections where Tycho was located. Unfortunately from what information I was able to gather, Tycho was destroyed by the Magnetic pulse used on the Marathon prior to the invasion. Its likely Durandal has suffered serious damage as well.

Currently I have tasked one of our highest ranking Security Officers aboard the Marathon to re-activate the Automated Defense Drones, he is currently recovering replacement circuits for those drones. Until the Defense Drones come online and the attacks against me recede, I will need you and your acquaintance, to assist with the defense efforts of the network and try to manually activate drones in vital areas. I am going to open one of the nearby bulkhead doors which will provide you access to the maintenance tunnels connecting to this level. Enter the tunnel and find one of the nearby Metropolitan Network Servers which will provide you access to the nearby defense center. I will provide additional instructions upon your arrival.

***End of Message***

Jetty walked up to Brandy and spoke to her "Good news, I got that bulkhead door open..." Brandy blinked once turning her head just slightly. "Whats the bad news?" Jetty continued. "The bad news is the Aliens are real and they're all over Leela who's the only reason that door was able to open, Durandal's fucked up and Tycho...hes dead... Shes about to bring the defenses back up but she needs our help." Brandy's face began to turn red, this was the exact opposite of what she intended to do, which was to keep a low profile and try to hold out somewhere within the bowels of the ship. "Lets go, we'll talk as we get into the tunnels" The two exited the station making a sharp right around two corners and into the dark tunnels. Brandy shouted. "Lights on, Headsets activated." The two drew their weapons as they made their way into the access tunnel before stopping at a T-Junction. In front of them a sign pointing to the left that said "Network Node 452-B" the sign pointing right pointing them to the boiler rooms, water treatment node and sewage access. "So what the fuck does she want you to do? Heal her cyber-wounds?" Annoyed, Jetty responded "No? She wants me to take control of local defenses and kill the Aliens." Brandy's eyebrows shot up into the air "Really? What a great idea! While were at it lets learn their language, hack into the PA system and talk about how much fun we had with their Moms last night!" Before Jetty could say anything, Leela chimed in over the communicator. "I understand your concerns but your one of the few civilians here who can help me and were able to take up arms. Not expecting Leela to hear her, Brandy's eyes widened. "Jesus FUCK Jet! Let me know when the AIs are gonna patch into our comms!" Jetty shouted back. "Don't yell at me! They're your comms, you should know how to secure them!" Brandy continued "Never mind that, make sure your safety is off and the gun is in Mag-Mode. Don't use the revolver." Jetty checked his Magnum and made sure it was set as she wanted. Leela chimed in another warning. "Proceed with Caution, I have detected alien presence within this area. They are likely attacking the node. Slowly they made their way down the corridor leading to the network maintenance room before stopping at a door with a Radiation Hazard symbol. "This is it." Jetty said. The door slid open as Jetty threw the switch.

Quickly the two moved into the room. Within seconds the room lit up revealing the closest alien creature; a strange figure with a red cloak and a green orb in its center. Behind it two bug-like creatures with three eyes, green armor and staffs. Alarmed, the creatures made strange sounds before they and the cloaked figure charged towards them. In less the a second Jetty began firing at his closest target, the creature with the red cloak. It would take him five direct hits before killing this creature; causing it to disintegrate before his eyes. Brandy also fired at the bug-like figure to its left as it raced towards her downing it in two shots. Jetty however was not so lucky as he found himself struggling with the remaining bug as it pushed away his pistol, disrupting his aim and then began electrocuting him when the creature slapped him on the side with it's staff. "Hhhhyeaghhh!" Jetty screamed with pain but before the creature could complete it's second attack it was interrupted by Brandy as she tackled it into the wall and buried her Combat knife into its midsection. For two long seconds Brandy held her stance; her left arm pushing against the creature's throat, her right hand holding the knife within it's guts. With a crazed look in her widened eyes, she began to smile and twist the blade left and right in an attempt to test the creature's pain tolerance. A mistake on her part she had failed to notice the creature was still holding onto it's staff and managed to touch the charged end it to her hip and shocking her to the ground. Though the creature was free from her hold, it's moment of victory was short lived as the last thing it would see what the dull blade of the hatchet Jetty had picked up earlier. The creature slid to the floor of the room but Jetty was not done yet. Enraged Jetty began hacking at the creature's face; each blow was followed by the sounds of brittle bones crunching and the sight of yellowish blood flying all over the room, covering the wall and Jetty's face. "Mother-FUCKER!" Brandy backed away, unsure of what to make of his current outburst. She quickly reloaded her weapon checking the room for a second but keeping her eyes on Jetty as he continued beating on the creature's skull. "BANG!" Jetty froze as he heard the gunshot ring from her pistol, snapping him back into reality and out of his rage. Slowly he turned his gaze to Brandy as she shot that same serious glare from earlier. He dropped the hatchet backing away from the disfigured corpse as he began to catch his breath and stop his hands from shaking. It was clear he had never taken a life before. He couldn't believe how easy it was, even against an armed opponent. Jetty wiped the blood off of his face and spoke. "Sorry...I...I don't know what came over me." Brandy holstered her Pistol and wiped the blood off of her knife before sheathing it. "Its called Fight or Flight response, or Tunnel Vision. It happens. Try to control it next time so you don't get killed." Jetty nodded as he picked up his hatchet and wiped the blood off of it with his pant-leg before putting it back onto his backpack loop. After wiping his hands, Jetty walked over to the thin round pillar in the center of the room, stopping before a switch and placing his left hand on it. "See those two doors with the blue caution stripes? This switch is going to open them and close an extra security bulkhead behind me."Jetty aimed his gun at one blue striped door, Brandy nodded and quickly drew her gun, aiming at the other. Within seconds the switch was thrown and the doors slid down. Already two alien fighters began running towards them but were immediately gunned down in two to three shots from their pistols. The duo then quickly moved into the room and unloaded their guns into another one of those that this time had a purple cloak. Killing it immediately but not without consuming another clip of Ammo. After the battle was over, Brandy Instinctively yelled out over the comm "Room Clear! and locked down! Give the order Leela..." With a gentle chirp Leela's voice was heard over the radio. "Good work. I have transported some ammunition to your location but it is all I can spare for the moment. While Jetty is working on patching the network, I will upload tactical information to both of you to aid in our defense. Please try to use this time and information to assist in our defense strategy." Brandy hesitantly responded. "Understood, Jet's working on the network now try to keep us posted mmkay?" Jetty chimed in, his hands still shaking from the fight as he fumbled with the panels "Might want to send us a pot of coffee, this shit might take awhile..."


End file.
